Baked Oatmeal

I'm more of a breakfast person than most.  Partly because I love food, and because I cherish the quiet of the morning.  I can't say I've always been this way, though.  Quite frankly, I spent a lot of my life annoyed with my Mom, who is the happiest, cheeriest lady you've ever met at 6am.  Seriously, she wakes up so happy.  And I always remember her being so loud in the morning.  Like clanging pots and pans loud. And always so proud to announce the list of things she'd accomplished so far that day when we finally woke up at 7am. 

But now, as a Mom and wife myself, I've discovered the beauty in the morning.  I love the quiet and peace of the house while my little one sleeps (it's a rare occasion, heck, it's no occasion to beat my husband's 4:45am alarm). It's the perfect time to catch up on housework, a quick yoga video, a quiet cup of coffee, pinterest discoveries, and a freshly baked breakfast.  So this weekend, I gathered my old cookbook and pa roused for a classic, healthy recipe.  And after adding my own touch (pears in place of apple, pecans instead of walnuts), I think we've found another solid go-to.  

A lovely cold-weather breakfast.  And a perfect Christmas morning treat.

Baked Oatmeal with Pears and Pecans

(serves 4)

2 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup pecans (save some for sprinkling before baking)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tblsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups milk

1 egg

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

2 pears, diced

Preheat oven to 350f.  Butter a baking/casserole dish.  Layer diced pears in bottom of baking dish.  Combine oats, pecans, powder, cinnamon, salt in a mixing bowl until just mixed.  Layer on top of pears.  In a separate bowl, slowly whisk milk into egg, maple syrup, and vanilla until combined.  Gently pour on top of oats mixture, coating evenly.  Sprinkle with handful of pecans.  Bake for 30 minutes or more, until set.

Enjoy warm with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Linking up at Thistlewood Farms.